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| 6 Jun 2013 Fixed Price Contracts
Fixed price contracts are the most common form of domestic building agreement. As the name suggests a fixed price agreement is where the builder agrees to perform building work for a fixed sum. This provides a degree of certainty to both parties, but during a period of escalating costs the builder is likely to include […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Indoor Air
Home owners are starting to pay a lot more attention to indoor air quality when selecting building products. This is particularly the case where children, elderly, or sick are involved, as they are more vulnerable to toxins. It has been estimated that we spend 90% of our lives indoors, so it is no wonder that […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 First Homebuyers & Building
First homebuyers comprise around twenty per cent of the new home market. This means that each year of the 20,000 new dwellings constructed each year, around 4,000 will be built by new homebuyers. Master Builders’ advice to homebuyers who are going through the building process for the first time is as follows: Make sure you […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Home Theatres
For a number of years, it was difficult to get approval for theatre rooms if they were proposed without windows as they did not comply with the Building Code of Australia. After much lobbying by builders and designers, the Building Code has been adjusted to allow theatre rooms without windows, which is normally required […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Home-based Businesses
About 1 in every 4 home businesses employs at least 1 person. Most new homes are not designed for the home business, although increasingly provision is being made for a home – office in many new home designs. Your new house design will be an important part of keeping your sanity and a smoothly running […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Liveable Homes
Liveable Homes: Resource for designing new homes A resource has been developed to support designers and builders improve the adaptability and accessibility of new housing designs. Our population is ageing, and the number of people with disability is also on the increase. The ‘Livable Homes’ resources have been developed by the Disability Services Commission with […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Independent Contractors
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS Introduction On 1 March 2007 legislation came into effect which provides for independent contractors to better manage their businesses in accordance with the terms of their commercial arrangements. Who does the Independent Contractors Act 2006 (Cth) apply to? The Independent Contractors Act 2006 (Cth) applies to all independent contractors if at least one […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Lighting – LED and incandescent bulbs
As announced by the Australian Government in 2007, the incandescent light bulbs will be banned and start being taken off the shelves by the end of 2009. Better quality halogen lights will continue to be available but the least efficient group of this lighting will be phased out as well. The move of replacing incandescent […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Land Title Release and Contracts
Sometimes people sign a building contract and pay a deposit on a home when land title is not yet available. Delays in the processing of land title can be lengthy and with building costs increasing rapidly, so there can be contract complications and inconvenience to both parties. Under normal conditions and under most building contracts […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Mobile Cranes
The use of mobile cranes in the residential construction industry has become commonplace. Before commencing using a crane on a construction site it is important to develop a work plan or safe work method statement for all crane operations. A work plan or safe work method statement should be developed which includes information on, but […]